Crews to Watch at the 2024 World Rowing Cup I in Varese, Italy

With the Paris 2024 Olympic Games now less than 110 days away, the World Rowing Cup season begins in Varese, Italy, with a strong entry of more than 450 athletes from 34 nations – including plenty of Olympic and world champions – looking to start the year off in style.

Women’s Pair (W2-)

Reigning world champions Ymkje Clevering and Veronique Meester of the Netherlands return for 2024 and will be the favourites in the eight-boat entry in the women’s pair. Challenges for the podium should come from the likes of Ireland and Chile, who were fourth and fifth respectively in Belgrade last year.

Men’s Pair (M2-)

Olympic champions Valent and Martin Sinkovic have switched back to the pair for the 2024 season, despite vowing after the Tokyo Olympic Games that they would stick to sculling. It will be fascinating to see if they have rediscovered the form which took them to gold three years ago. The Sinkovics face a stiff challenge, with 2023 World Rowing Championship medallists Switzerland, Great Britain, and Ireland returning unchanged as well as the Olympic bronze medallists from Denmark.

Women’s Double Sculls (W2x)

The women’s double sculls event in Varese will be interesting, with five boats racing, only one of which raced in the same line-up at the 2023 World Rowing Championships. That crew is Norway’s Thea Helseth and Jenny Marie Rorvik, who qualified their boat for the Olympic Games last year. Among the other entrants, look out for former single sculls world champion Jeanine Gmelin, making her comeback after a period out of the sport alongside Nina Wettstein.

Men’s Double Sculls (M2x)

All eyes will be on Dutch duo Melvin Twellaar and Stefan Broenink in this event. The two were unbeatable last season and their dominance is certainly one reason why the Sinkovic brothers have moved back to the pair – meaning Patrik and Anton Loncaric, the other pair of Croatian brothers, will make their international sculling debut for Croatia in Varese. Other crews hoping to close the gap on Twellaar and Broenink include Ireland’s world bronze medallists, Daire Lynch and Philip Doyle.

Women’s Four (W4-)

Both Great Britain and Australia are doubling up their women’s eight crews into the women’s four for World Rowing Cup I, bolstering the strong entries in this boat class. The boat to watch, however, is the unchanged Dutch line-up which won World Championship gold in 2023. They will be challenged by Great Britain 1, a new-look boat that has bags of experience and includes 2022 World Champions Samantha Redgrave and Rebecca Shorten.

Men’s Four (M4-)

The British world champion crew are back again with no changes for the 2024 season in the men’s four, with other nations shuffling their line-ups. Italy 1 could well be fast, with two members of their Olympic bronze medal crew – Matteo Lodo and Giuseppe Vicino – back in the boat. Meanwhile Australia and the Netherlands, after missing out on the podium in Belgrade last year, are trying out brand new combinations in Varese.

Women’s Single Sculls (W1x)

2023 world champion Karolien Florijn of the Netherlands is undefeated in the women’s single sculls in the past two seasons. One athlete she has not yet raced is 2019 world champion Sanita Puspure; the Irishwoman is back in the single for World Rowing Cup I after a couple of years in crew boats. Florijn and Puspure’s competition includes the two most recent under-23 world champions, Aurelia-Maxima Katharina Janzen of Switzerland and Germany’s Alexandra Foester, both continuing their journeys in the senior ranks.

Men’s Single Sculls (M1x)

The men’s single sculls has attracted the biggest entry of the regatta, with 30 men set to race. The list includes reigning World and European champion Oliver Zeidler, with the big German aiming to continue a strong run of form. 2023 world silver medallist Simon van Dorp of the Netherlands is also back in this boat. Meanwhile several scullers want to test the impact of their winter training ahead of a last bid for Olympic qualification – including Norwegian Kjetil Borch, who is not yet qualified for Paris after winning medals at the last two Olympic Games.

Lightweight Women’s Double Sculls (LW2x)

For some nations, selection in the competitive lightweight women’s double sculls is still ongoing – with Italy’s Olympic champions Valentina Rodini and Federica Cesarini entered alongside compatriots Stefania Buttignon and Silvia Crosio in the nine-boat field in this event. On recent form, British World champions Imogen Grant and Emily Craig are favourites, but there is plenty of quality among the other entries, particularly the strong Canadian crew of Jill Moffatt and Jennifer Casson.

Lightweight Men’s Double Sculls (LM2x)

Austria, Germany, and Italy have all entered two boats in the lightweight men’s double sculls in Varese – with the host nation having already qualified for Paris in this event. World bronze medallists Stefano Oppo and Gabriel Soares look to maintain their position as Italy’s chosen crew and face another showdown against Switzerland’s Jan Schaeuble and Raphael Ahumada Ireland, who won silver in Belgrade.

Women’s Quadruple Sculls (W4x)

The 2023 World Rowing Championships final in the women’s quadruple sculls was one of the most thrilling races of the regatta, and fans in Varese will potentially see a rematch as world champions Great Britain and silver medallists the Netherlands return with the same crews. The fast-improving Swiss will be out to upset the leaders, while Ukraine – who just missed out on Paris qualification – are certainly keen to show they have the speed to challenge for one of the two remaining Olympic spots later this year.

Men’s Quadruple Sculls (M4x)

As with the men’s double sculls, the question for the men’s quadruple sculls is whether anyone can touch the flying Dutchmen. With the same lineup who dominated last season, and two remaining members from the Tokyo Olympic Games gold-medal winning boat, the Netherlands are clear favourites. But Italy are also back with an identical crew to 2023, while Britain can never be ruled out and have shuffled their crew around, bringing in the experienced Graeme Thomas at stroke while George Bourne moves to the single.

Women’s Eight (W8+)

Six nations in seven boats will start the women’s eight in Varese, with hosts Italy bringing two crews. Several of the entries are development crews with an eye on the future, including Australia’s combination, while Romania’s eight is a very different crew from that which won the 2023 World Rowing Championships. That probably makes the British, including several members of last year’s European silver medallist combination, favourites this time around.

Men’s Eight (M8+)

Great Britain will be the boat to beat in the men’s eight, with their World champion crew back in its entirety to start 2024. The Netherlands were snapping at the British heels last year and have entered a shuffled lineup, with Ralf Rienks and Ruben Knab coming into the boat. And it will be interesting to watch how the Germans perform, with the flagship ‘Deutschland Achter’ having had a disappointing 2023 season.

Lightweight Women’s Single Sculls (LW1x)

None of last year’s world medallists are racing in the lightweight women’s single sculls in Varese, opening the door for intriguing racing in this non-Olympic event. Entries include Tunisia’s Khadija Krimi, who qualified for the Olympics in the lightweight women’s double sculls at the African Olympic Qualification Regatta but is racing the single in Varese.

Lightweight Men’s Single Sculls (LM1x)

Entries in the lightweight men’s single sculls include Italians Patrick Rocek and Matteo Tonelli, both former world champions in the lightweight men’s quadruple sculls. They raced each other recently at the Memorial ‘Paolo d’Aloja’ Regatta in Piedluco, with Tonelli coming out ahead. Other competitors include 18-year-old Peter Strecansky of Slovakia, two-time World Rowing Under 19 Championships bronze medallist in the men’s single sculls.

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The 2024 World Rowing Cup I takes place between 12-14 April, in Varese, Italy. Find the full programme, entries, and more on worldrowing.com